Concentrations of phthalates and bisphenol A in Norwegian foods and beverages and estimated exposure in Norwegian adults

Abstract

Background: Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are industrial chemicals used in a wide variety of consumer products and have been associated with several toxic outcomes. Food is one of the major sources of human exposure to phthalates and BPA. Contamination of food can occur during food processing and through migration from packaging materials. In order to provide data for human exposure assessment, it is important to monitor the occurrence of phthalates and BPA in food items. Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine for the first time concentrations of phthalates and BPA in common Norwegian foods and beverages and estimate dietary exposure to these chemicals in the Norwegian adult population. Methods: Thirty seven different food items were included in the study. For most of the food items, the three most sold brands were purchased. BPA and ten different phthalates were analysed in these food items by VITO NV, Belgium. Results: BPA and five phthalates occurred above the limits of quantification in more than 50 % of the food items.The concentrations of BPA and most of the phthalates in Norwegian foods and beverages were found in the same range as in other European countries. Although the use of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been restricted in recent years due to its toxic properties, it still had the highest concentration among the 10 phthalates determined, followed by its replacement di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DiNP). We present her for the first time comprehensive data on the occurrence of DEHP replacements DiNP and di-isodecyl phthalate (DiDP) in food in Europe. The highest levels of phthalates and bisfenol A were found in canned meals and food items containing >10 % fat. We are presently combining the contaminant concentrations in food with intake data from the Norwegian national dietary survey Norkost 3 (2010-2011) to estimate the exposure from food.